AI Damage2007 BMW 550I: common problems
Owners of the 2007 BMW 550I filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 37
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 22% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 16% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 16% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 14% of all complaints
- 5 Wheels 11% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 8 complaints (22% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 6 complaints (16% of all).
- Steering: 6 complaints (16% of all).
- Engine: 5 complaints (14% of all).
- Wheels: 4 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 37 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The engine revved and the car rolled forward. Obviously, it was in neutral. I put the car in drive, then reverse. Same thing. I put the car in park, then reverse, same problem. Ultimately, I had to turn off the car, then start it again. Now, reverse engaged.
The vehicle is Burning a lot of oil due to the valve stem seals. Because of how the engine was designed. Since 2011 to 2018 was a law suit of the same engine since 2000 of the N62 V8 Engine of BMW. Smoke of oil comes out the exhaust and BMW cannot fix the issue they designed.
Oil leaks due to improperly fitting valve stem seals. This is a manufacturer defect rendering the car constantly leaking oil and virtually in danger of complete engine failure
Wiring in headlight assemblies shorts out because of degraded defective wiring insulation. Headlights can immediately fail while driving at night. Passenger side headlight failed.
Excessive exhaust smoke when vehicle is idling... White smoke. The oil seems to collect somewhere in the engine while idling and continues to smoke for a while, after idling and in motion. The smoking seems to be worse when idling on an incline or decline. This has been going on a while.
Was replacing h7 headlamps and discovered all of the insulation on the wiring inside both headlight assemblies had disintegrated and both assemblies contained multiple bare wires. This could result in a short or blowing a fuse when driving making headlamps stop working. Could easily cause an accident.
Experience "highbeam malfunction" warning light. Inspected the headlamps (e60 adaptive xenon part # [phone]). The driver's side low-beam halogen melted through reflector. Inspected wiring and the sheathing / jacket were disintegrating causing short circuiting.
The steering lock malfunction light is on. This indicator light came while the car was stationary.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,176 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 550I has 21 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 37, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 BMW 550I?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, exterior lighting, steering. Total complaints: 37. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (24%), headlights and tail lights (11%), smoke, burning smell, fire (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 BMW 550I?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2007 BMW 550I from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2007 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.